Comet Comments For November 1999

Don Machholz

Comet LINEAR (1999 J3) heads south rather rapidly, while Comet Lee fades in our evening sky. Periodic Comet Machholz 2 reappears on its first return since it was discovered from Colfax, California in August 1994. At that time it outburst, and four secondary comets, labeled Components B-E, were found by amateurs using photography and CCD. In 1994 the comet was ahead of us in our orbit, this time it trails behind us, remaining at a declination of -11 for several months. It was recovered by Robert McNaught on Aug. 3 at magnitude 21.

In the past month the SOHO satellite found two more comets entering the solar vicinity. One was found on Sept. 4, the second on Sept. 16. A new comet was found by Robert McNaught and F. Watson using the U.K. Schmidt Camera in Australia. It will remain faint as will a couple of instrument-discovered comets found recently. But another comet, 1999 S4 (LINEAR), is presently at magnitude 15 but may brighten up to naked-eye visibility by the middle of next year.

COMET HUNTING NOTES: Until three years ago, the search for Near-Earth Objects (NEO's) was carried out in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Then, in 1996 the Australian government stopped the funding so the Southern Hemisphere search was shut down. In the meantime the Northern Hemisphere increased its search capabilities, especially with the addition of LINEAR, in New Mexico, about a year ago. Now the Southern Hemisphere search has been re-funded and should begin soon. Robert McNaught will manage it and all the equipment is being updated.